Wire stripper



y 1952 w. J. HOLT, JR 2,601,797

WIRE STRIPPER Filed Jan. 12, 1950 5 2 SHEETS-SHEET l IN VEN TOR.

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July 1, 1952 w. J. HOLT, JR 2,601,797

WIRE STRIPPER iled Jan. 12, 1950 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVEN TOR.

Patented July 1, 1952 William J. Holt, J r., Garland, Tex. Application January 12, 1950, Serial No. 138,189

11 Claims.

This invention relates to wire stripping devices and, more particularly t manually operated devices for stripping insulation from wire.

In the construction of electrical and electronic equipment and in the servicing of such equipment, it has heretofore been the practice to cut a connecting wire to the estimated correct len th and then strip the insulation from the ends of the wire before connecting its ends at the desired points in the equipment. Since it is often impossible to estimate correctly the proper length of the wireuntil it has been placed in position, it often becomes necessary to cut the wire again and to strip once more the insulation from one end of the wire. The presently available wire strippers, however, are bulky and cannot 'be employed inthe small spaces open in the electrical or electronic devices. It becomes necessary to strip the insulation with a small knife or to detach the wire from the device, strip the insulation, and again attach the wire in the device. A wire stripping device adapted to operate within the electrical or electronic device greatly decreases the time and labor involved in connecting elements of the device with in sulated wire.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved wire stripping dev1ce.

It is anotherobject of my invention to provide a new and improved wire stripping device adapted to operate within small spaces.

It is another object of my invention t provide a new and improved wire stripping device having wire holding jaws and insulation stripping jaws adapted to be inserted in, and operate in, small spaces.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a new and improved hand operated wire stripping device having wire gripping jaws and insulation'stripping jaws adapted to be inserted in, and to operate in, small spaces.

Briefly stated, my new and improved wire stripping device comprises "a frame member having a substantially rectangular handle portion and a jaw portion extending at an angle from the handle portion. A movable jaw is pivotally secured to the handle portion and cooperates with the jaw portion to grip the wire whose insulation is to be stripped. A pair of insulation stripping jaws are mounted between the wire gripping jaw and jaw portion and are adapted to cut through the insulation of the wire when the movable jaw is moved by an operating lever into gripping relation with the jaw portion. The opcratin lever is also pivoted on the handle pertion and coacts with a pair of levers pivoted on the lower end of the handle portion to retract the wire stripping jaws within the gripping jaws and pull off the insulation from the end of the wire after the stripping jaws have 'cut through the insulation. The stripping jaws are maintained in their retracted position by aspring catch which contacts the pair of levers in order to allow the gripping jaws to'open and the wire to be freed of the device before the stripping jaws are returned to their normal position. "I'hespring catch is mounted on the movable jaw of the device and releases the stripping jaws when the movable jaw has returned to almost its fully open position. For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the following drawing in which: 1 Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the wire strippin device showing the position of the various elements at one instant of the cycle of operation; i f

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, of the device illustrated in Figure 1 showing the position of the various elements at another instant of the cycle of operation; j Figure 3 is a perspective view of one element of the device; 3 Figure 4 is a perspective view of a part of t e device with jaws in open position; 3 t

Figure 5 is a perspective view of two elements of the device;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the elements shown in Figure 5; j j

Figure '7 is a reduced perspective view of the device shown in Figures 1 to 6; and j p Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the parts shown in Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified embodiment of one of the elements of my device. f Referring now to the drawing, my wire stripping device comprises a frame member I I having an intermediate channel portion I2, ,a rear channel portion [3 extending at an angle .to and se-.

cured to one end of intermediate channel portion 12, and a frontchannel portion l4. Channel portion l4 comprises a portion 15 parallel to rear channel portion I 3 and an upper extension I 6 projecting outwardly from portion l5 and substantially parallel to intermediate portion 12. Extension i6 is provided at its outer end with ajaw IT.

Portion of frame member H is provided with a rectangular aperture [8 through which passes an operating lever IS. The upper end of operating lever i9 is pivotally secured to the upper portion of rear channel member l3 intermediate the side portions 26 and '2! by means of a shaft 22. Operating lever I9 is substantially S-shaped having a curved intermediate section 23, an upper end 24 and a lower rounded end 25, the two ends 24 and extending oppositely and substantially perpendicularly from intermediate section 23. ating lever I3 is provided with a reduced portion 25a having apertures 26 in its sides 21 and 23 while the intermediate section 23 is provided The upper end 24 of oper- I with a substantiall rectangular aperture 29 and a transversely disposed pin 38.

substantially channel shaped having laterally separatedparallelsides am and 32 joined by a 7 web 33. The forward end of jaw member M has a-downwardlyextending portion forming a jaw 34 whichcoacts with jawil-of frame member H togrip the wire-to be stripped. The rear end of jaw 'member 3| extends downwardly and the sides-3m and 32m over the reduced portion 25a, theiportions of sides 31a and 32 fitting over reduced-portion 25a are also reduced-as at 32a. The sides-Ma and 32ers provided'with apertures 35 which-coincide with apertures 26 of sides 27 and 28 .of reduced portion 25a'and with apertures 3:6 of sides 26 and 2| of rear portion [3. Operating lever 19 and jaw member 3! are .designed to fit between the sides 29 and ii of frame member I l and are pivotally secured :to frame member H by shaft22 which extends through apertures 26, 35 and stand is secured to frame member H by peening Or any other suitable means.

.Ja-w member 3| and operating. leverlfl are also connected by an'elastic member 31, such as a metal spring, which has one end connected to pin 30 of-operating leverlii and the other endconnected to a pin 38 secured tosides (Her and 32 of .jaw member 3|. Elastic member 3715 prevented from bringing the intermediate section 23 ofoperating lever ['9 into-abutting relation with jaw member 3| by the shoulders 39 between upperend 211 and reduced portion 25a which engage the ends ofsides 3m and .32. Aportion of web33 .adjacentshaft 22 is cutaway forming a shoulder 49 in order to prevent blocking of the upward pivoted movement of jaw 34 by web t! of rear channelportion' i3.

A pair of levers 42 and .43 arepivotally connected at their-lower endsto the sides 34 and45. of portion iibymeans of ashaft 66 secured to the.lower .portionsof sides 4d and 45'by peening or an .othersuitablemethod. Inorder to keep the lower .ends of levers i2. and 43'properly spaced a cylindrical spacing member i! is positioned on shaft 45 between levers 52 and 43. Levers +32 and 43 are offset inwardly at 38, and 68a, and 49 andtga, respectively, in order toclear sides Elland 5i .of intermediate sectionzf of operating lever J9 .since levers 52 and 53 pass through aperture 29.

Secured to'the upper ends of levers &2 and s3 bymeans of .a pintZ is a spring 53 having abight -portion'5 i partiallyencircling pin 52 and forwardly extending portions 55 and 55 \vhich'terminate .in stripping jawsiil and 5.8, respectively. Jaws 51 and .58. extend substantiallyperpendicularly from portions 55 and 56 and toward each other. Stripping jaws 5"! and 58 are provided with grooved cutting edges 59 and 543 which are adapted to cut through the insulation of a wire. In order to maintain stripping jaws 57 and 58 in forward positions adjacent gripping jaws I! and 34, a biasing member, such as a leaf spring 6! is provided. Leaf spring 65 has one end secured to rear channel portion [3 by means of rivets or any other suitable means while its other end pressesagainstlever 43 to maintain levers 42 and 43 adjacent'portion i5.

Levers 32 and 33 pass through aperture 29 in operating lever l9 and are contacted by the web 64 contiguous aperture 28 of operating lever l9 as'lever E9 is pivoted about shaft 22 to bring its lower end .25 into proximity with portion l5. After levers t2 and .43 are contacted by web 64 further movement of operating lever l9 will cause leve'rstZ and 43 to pivot about shaft 46. In this movement the upper ends or levers i2 and 43 are brought into contact with .a spring catch (55. Springcatch at has one endsecured to a movable jaw 35 in any suitablemanner asby welding or riveting and has its free end contacting spurs 66 and B? on leversZ and ls, respectively. Further movem entof levers 42 and 43 after spurs 6t? and 6'! have contacted spring catch-65 will cause spurs-6'6 and 6! to engage the free end of spring catch 55. Spring'catch 65 will then hold levers J52 and 23 in their pivoted:or actuatedpositions, as shown in Figure '2, .until the-operating lever is released and-movable jaw 3| opens. -When' movable jaw 35 opens, jaws 5! and 58al-so open and only then does spring catch B5.a1low :stripping jaws .5"! and 58,130 move forward. Side platestfiand 6% are secured .to frame member --H by meansofsorewslll or other suitable securing means. 5 t

The forward extension lB'and-jawmember .31 are-.made'small enough to enter the confined spaces in electrical. and electronic equipment, e. g., radio-chassis. Allcf the parts of my'wire stripping device with theexception of flexible-member --3l,-leaf spring BI. and spring'catch 65 may be made of sheet steel. This construction will ensure maximum strength and lightness iof weight. If desired, side'plates 68 and '69 which act as bracing and stiffening members for frame member I i may be made of plastic material.

Inoperation, forward extension 16 and jaw membertlyare inserted into the small space in which the-wire H to be strippedis .located.:and are so disposed that the endaof the wire zlies .between gripping jaws l1 and :34 .and stripping jaws 51 and '58. Pressureis then-exerted on1opcrating lever l9 bythe fingers of .the'hand'which holds the wire stripping device. "As "operating lever 49 is pivoted about shaft "2'2,'it :causes jaw member 3| topivot'also about shaft '22? since jaw memberBI .is connected to operating .leverilta by elastic-member 3?. In its-movement, jaw-cmember 3| contacts portion of-spring 53tand causes portions 55 and 55to approach-each other since portion 56 is constrained by :forward "extension l6of frame members alldSll'lcGithE fOICBl'lecessary to bend spring-53 is less than the force necessary to stretch elastic member F31. Continued movement of operating lever 18 causes gripping'ja-ws l1 and 34 to'contactaand grip the wire and stripping jaws 51 and '58 its contact the wire and out through its. insulation 12. Further movement of operating lever is will not cause jaws H and; 34. and'stripping jaws 51 an'd 58 to approach eachother since the force =necessary'to effect such movement will-be greater than the force necessary to stretch elastic member 31. During such further movement of op erating lever l9, however, web '64 contacts levers 42 and 43-and causes them-to pivot about-shaft 45 and retract-spring 53. *Since "the wire is continually gripped byjaws ll and 34, retr'action of spring 53'will cause -jaw"s" 51-and SS tostripthe insulation 15'o'ff the end otwire 14. After levers 42 and 43, and therefore spring53, have moved a predetermined distance, spurs 66 and 6! of levers 42 and 43 contact spring catch 65, push spring catch 65 upwardly and move past the free end of spring catch 65. If operating lever 19 is now released, levers 42 and 43 will not be ableto move back to their original position since they are maintained in their activated position by spring catch 65. Spring '53, however, exerts sufficient forcetoopen jaws 57 and 58 and tome}? member 3| to its original openfposition; an H is no longer gripped by jawsfli and} moving upwardly, jaw member-3imovesth free end of spring catch 65 from engagementwith spurs 66 and 61 and levers 42 and 43fmove to their original positions due to the force-exerted by spring BI. Spring catch 65 is employed to prevent jaws 51 and 58 from contacting and bending the stripped end 1 6 ofwire "II wh'enoperating, lever 13 is released'.' "fl '1 111;

It will be apparent that the wire stripping device may be modified without departing from the scope of my invention. For example, the levers 42 and 43 may be replaced by a single lever I4 as is shown in Figure 8 in which case spring 53 must be provided with a slot 15 to receive the lever 14. If it is desired, spring 53 may be provided with a stop 16 which will limit the length of the wire which can be inserted between jaws 51 and 58 thereby ensuring that only a certain predetermined length of wire, II will be stripped of insulation 72. Stop 16 may be secured to jaw 56 by means of a slot 11 and bolt 18 means to permit adjustment of the length of insulation 12 to be stripped.

Elastic member 3! which is a spring of the coil type may be replaced by a length of elastic material such as rubber or by a leaf spring 80.

Pin 52 is journaled in the upper ends of levers 42 and 43 and is maintained in operative position by side plates 68 and 69. This construction facilitates replacement of spring 53 since it is merely necessary to remove one of the side plates 68 or 69 and slip out pin 52 from levers 42 and 43 to free spring '53 from all retaining means. It is sometimes desirable to substitute spring 53 with similar springs which are provided with grooved cutting edges 51 and 58 having grooves I9 of different sizes in order to permit the stripping of insulation from different sized wires.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the above described and illustrated embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A wire stripping device comprising a frame N 6 member having a gripping jaw adapted to cooperate with said first mentioned jaw; .an operating lever pivotally mounted on said frame member; an elastic member connecting said movable member and said operating lever for moving said first mentioned gripping jaw adjacent said second mentioned gripping jaw; a pair of wire stripping jaws mounted "between said longitudinal member and said movable member, said wire stripping jaws abutting said longitudinal member and said movable member and being adapted to be moved adjacent one an other by said movable member; and alever pivotally secured to said frame member and't'o said wire stripping jaws, said lever contacting said operating lever to retract said stripping jaws from said gripping jaws after said stripping jaws have been moved adjacenteach other: y

2. The wire stripping device of claim "'1; and a spring secured to said frame member for urging said wire stripping jaws into positionedjacent said wire gripping jaws.

3. The wire stripping deviceof claim 2, and a catch secured to said movable member and contacting said second mentioned lever to retain said wire stripping means in retracted position.

4. The wire stripping device of claim 1, and means secured to said movable member and contacting said second mentioned lever to retain said wire stripping means in retracted position.

5. The device comprising a handle; elongated gripping means extending at an angle from said handle; insulation cutting and stripping means positioned within said gripping means, said gripping means abutting said cutting and stripping means; an operating lever pivotally mounted on said handle and coupled to said gripping means for actuating said gripping means, said insulation cutting and stripping means being adapted to cut insulation upon actuation of said gripping means; and retracting means pivotally connected to said cutting and stripping means and said handle for retracting said cutting and stripping means toward said handle, said retracting means contacting said operating lever after actuation of said gripping means.

6. The device of claim 5, and means secured to said gripping means and contacting said op erating lever to retain said insulation cutting and stripping means in retracted position.

7. The device of claim 5, and abiasing member secured to said handle for urging said insulation cutting and stripping means into a non-retracted position.

8. The device comprising a handle member; an immovable gripping jaw member rigidly fixed to said handle member and extending at an angle from said handle member; a movable gripping jaw member pivotally secured to said handle member and adapted to coact with said immovable gripping jaw member; an operating lever pivotally secured to said handle member; an elastic member connecting said movable gripping jaw member and said operating lever; insulation cutting and stripping jaws positioned between said gripping jaw members, each of said gripping jaw members abutting its adjacent cutting and stripping jaw; elastic means connected to said insulation cutting and stripping jaws for maintaining said jaws in open position, said movable pp jaw member moving said jaws into closed position when actuated by said op. erating lever; a retracting lever pivotally secured to said handle member and slidably con- 0 tacting said operating lever for retracting said gnome? jawstoward .said handle member while in said closed position; spring catch means secured to said movable gripping jaw member'an'd coacting with said retracting lever for maintaining said lever in said retracted position; and resilient means fixed .to said handle member and abutting said retracting lever for urging said jaws into non-retracted position.

9. The device comprising a handle member; an immovable gripping jaw-member rigidly fixed to said handle member and extending at an angle from-said handle member; amovable gripping jaw member pivotally secured to said handie member and adapted to coact with said immovable gripping jaw member; an operating lever pivotally secured to said handle member; an elastic member connecting said .movabie gripping jaw member and said operating lever; insulation cutting and stripping jaws positioned betweensaid gripping jaw members, each of said gripping jaw members abutting its adjacent Gilt-1 ting and stripping jaw; elastic means for maintaining said jaws in open position, said movable gripping jaw member moving said jaws into closed position when actuated by said operating lever; and a retracting lever pivotaily secured to said handle member and slidably contacting said operating lever for retracting said stripping Jews toward said handle member While in said closed position.

10. The device of claim 9,;and;a.catch;cooperating with said retracting lever for maintaining said lever in said retracted position.

11.'The device of claim 9,,a1 d resilient ,means fixed to said handle member and abutting said retracting lever for urging said jaws into nonretracted position.

WILLIAM J. HOLT, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date 520,818 Bettinger June ,5, 11.894; 1,196,322 Wood Aug. 29, :1916 1,618,734 Smitak Feb. 1-22, 1927 1,857,731 Lund May 10,1932 2,179,581 Voogel Nov. 1 1, 1939 2,407,233 Greer Sept. 10, 19.44) 2,523,936 Axelsen 1 Sept. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 780,257 France Jan. 29, 1935 619,302

Germany Sept. 27, 1935 

